Prescription for Success:Grupo JOMI’s Path to International Growth

In 1986, Oscar and Miriam García embarked on their entrepreneurial journey by acquiring the Guadalupe pharmacy in El Salvador. Over the years, their venture evolved into Grupo JOMI, a thriving conglomerate comprising pharmacies, a drugstore, a distributorship and a successful laboratory. With a workforce of over 350 employees, Grupo JOMI has become a prominent player in the national pharmaceutical landscape, manufacturing and distributing high-quality products aimed at enhancing the quality of life.

Navigating International Expansion

Despite its domestic success, Grupo JOMI faced challenges in expanding internationally, particularly in the competitive U.S. market. Key challenges included formulating a clear strategy for international expansion, navigating regulatory requirements for product registrations in export markets, and effectively marketing and selling products abroad. The company recognized the need for expert guidance to overcome these hurdles and capitalize on the opportunity to expand its reach.

‍

Leveraging the Bpeace Pharma Maximizer Program

To address these challenges, Josue Garcia, the commercial director of Grupo JOMI, enrolled in the Bpeace Pharma Maximizer program, focused on supporting Salvadoran SMEs in the pharma sector. Through the program, Grupo JOMI participated in workshops covering topics such as regional expansion and exporting to the U.S. market. Additionally, Josue was paired with expert Amy Fitzgerald, an e-commerce specialist. Amy provided Josue with tailored guidance in areas such as Amazon account management, product display optimization and evaluating marketing strategies.

‍

Tangible Results Through Collaboration

The collaboration with Amy led to significant outcomes for Grupo JOMI:

1. Enhanced Product Display: Working alongside the SYMLAB team, improvements were made to the product display page (PDP) for Grupo JOMI’s flagship product, Ipatol, employing a hands-on, results-driven approach.
2. Competitive Analysis: A thorough review of competitors selling similar products on Amazon provided key insights into market trends and positioning strategies.
3. Sales Channel Evaluation: An expert-led evaluation helped determine whether Grupo JOMI should manage its Amazon sales channel directly or continue working with its distributor. This also included establishing best practices for designing and managing a PDP to boost the company’s online visibility.
4. Marketing Optimization: A comprehensive review of Grupo JOMI’s Amazon campaign and marketing strategy was conducted to fine-tune efforts and ensure maximum impact in a competitive online marketplace.

Exploring New Horizons‍

Grupo JOMI’s participation in the U.S. Market Exploration Mission facilitated by Bpeace provided invaluable insights and networking opportunities. Visits to retailers like Elm Wellness and manufacturers like BioCentriq enabled company leaders to understand market trends, consumer preferences and industry best practices. After the trip, Josue reflected: “The trip to the U.S. allowed us to understand that the market for Latin American products is larger than we had considered.” Grupo JOMI is now positioned to expand its horizons and tap into the vast potential of the Latino products market in the U.S.